What if I Don’t Report My Workplace Injury Right Away?

You may feel embarrassed and ashamed to find yourself in the middle of a workplace accident. However, you must not let these feelings deter you from making your accident known and reporting your injuries to your employer straight away. At the very least, you may be offered the support necessary to heal from your injuries correctly. But for more, please continue reading to learn what happens if you do not report your workplace injury right away and how an experienced St. Mary’s County workers’ compensation lawyer at The Dorsey Law Firm can help you get this straightened out.

Is it okay if I do not immediately record my personal injury?

Say, for instance, that you pursue a third-party claim rather than a workers’ compensation claim. This may be because the negligent party of your workplace accident may not have necessarily been your employer. For example, you may have slipped and fallen in your workplace building not owned by your employer. Or, you may have gotten harmed by a product not manufactured or designed by your employer.

Even so, it is still essential for you to record your incurred injury right away. This may start with calling an ambulance to your workplace and having them transport you to the emergency room. Then, this should be continued by follow-up appointments with your treating physician and the following of a prescribed treatment plan. In this way, you may undoubtedly link your incurred injury to the negligence of a third party in your accident event. This may make it all the simpler for you to collect the necessary monetary compensation in your third-party claim.

What happens if I do not report my workplace injury right away?

In another example, though, say that your employer’s negligence indeed caused your workplace accident and you wish to pursue a workers’ compensation claim. Well, for this claim type, there is an established deadline for when you must report your injury to your employer. In the state of Maryland, you must report your workplace injury to your employer within 10 days of the accident. This is best done by writing the place, time, nature, and cause of your injury, along with providing your signature at the bottom.

It is only once you notify your employer that you may proceed forward with filing your workers’ compensation claim. Maryland holds a statute of limitations of two years from the date of your accident event, similar to that of a third-party claim. A failure to meet this deadline translates into a failure to collect medical and hospitalization benefits, reimbursement for lost wages, vocational rehabilitation benefits, and more.

Before you take any further initiative with your claim, we urge you to consult a skilled Leonardtown personal injury lawyer. Most definitely, the team at The Dorsey Law Firm is eager to work with you.